Eroding the Foundation - Subjectivism

by Tim Nichols
www.cvillechurch.com

Modern man has lost the ability to learn and obey God's truth by destroying, for the most part, the most basic principle on which truth can rest. This is a principle that is taught in the scriptures (1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:6, 7; 4:1-5; Titus 1:10-13) as much as it is an observation made in the real world. The notion that truth exists at all is rejected by many, - even by some who claim to be Christians. It really seems to be a part of the breakdown of "rational thinking" more than a deterioration of "communication" skills.

We are seeing, in our day, the fruit of subjectivism. Words do not mean anything in these days of relativism. As a result of this men seem to feel free to construe the words of others in any way they choose. They expect others to construe their words to mean what they do not mean in the dictionary. These are two sides of one coin. The coin of subjectivism.

In "the old days" two men would approach a question or a problem with something in common. They both believed that truth existed and they usually believed that the truth they were seeking could be found. They may have differed widely concerning just what the truth was, but they both believed it was out there, independent of what they chose to think. They both argued about the evidence with the mutual hope of finding the truth. Today, many (if not most) in our culture have been "educated" (indoctrinated may be more accurate) to believe that all truth is relative. When we attempt to speak with many of our neighbors and some of our weak brethren we are simply not on the same page. When we present evidence for the existence of God, the inspiration of the Bible, the truthfulness of specific Bible doctrines, and the rightness and wrongness of certain human actions, we are met with confused looks by those who stand on no foundation and believe that none exists. While we love those who are thus adrift without anchor or rudder we are often frustrated in our attempts to find some "common ground" that will serve as a basis for study and communication.

This may be a slight exaggeration, but it seems that when a subjectivist says that, "You are a dirty, stinking skunk!" he is shocked that you did not construe his words to mean that, "You are an immaculate, charming sweetheart." In his confused mind you are responsible for knowing what he meant and that what he meant was not definite and rigid. You are guilty of unfair judging when you take his words to mean what we normally use those words to mean. With him, meanings are flexible rather than fixed. When he says, "You look like a monkey", he may mean "Apples are fruit." This can be frustrating when we are on the receiving end of "communication" with a subjectivist, but it is much more bearable than when we are on the sending end. The subjectivist feels free to take your words to mean anything he chooses and to tell others what he has "perceived" you to say. After all, in his mind, words can mean no more than the ideas that they represent. Since ideas, in his distorted thinking, can never be objectively fixed, he feels free to impose any meaning upon them that he chooses.

Over the past several years we have heard enough straw men quoted by subjectivists to supply the need of every corn field in the world. While we might as well give up trying to convince the subjectivists of anything beyond the truth that truth exists, we need to call them to account for the public statements for the sake of those who hear their claims. One brother told me this week that, in "45 years of attending the church of Christ, no one ever told [me] what Jesus has done for us!" When I asked him for the names of the elders, teachers, and preachers who had neglected their work by not telling him about the grace, mercy, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. At first he refused to give me their names on the grounds that I might be unkind in my dealing with them. When I promised to be kind and to simply tell them what he had told me and ask them to study some Bible verses with me he changed his tune and said, "Well, they did teach me what Jesus has done for us, but they did not teach me about how the Holy Spirit will directly guide me in my daily life." Notice the giant difference between the former and latter statements! And such non-thinkers cannot see the inherent dishonesty of their own words because truth, to them, is always "fuzzy."

Others tell us that "nothing can be questioned in churches of Christ." When you ask them what question they are not permitted to ask, they are at a complete loss. Usually, they have no response because most preachers and teachers among us are delighted to have questions to explore from the Bible. A few have said, more or less in response, "But they claim to have the answers!" And this is the problem for the subjectivist: "answers!" He hates all things presented by others as absolute facts. He repudiates the very idea of undeniable truths proceeding from others. He paints the whole realm of ideas gray so he can select what he chooses from the whole to turn either black or white at will. He cannot maneuver well in an environment with fixed boundaries and immovable obstacles. There he looses his freedom to manipulate, exploit, negotiate, and orchestrate.

The Bible does not present a problem for the subjectivist because of what it specifically teaches. His problem with the Bible is that it specifically teaches. His problem with the church and her teachers is not really what is taught. His problem is that specific things are taught as inflexible truth. His battle is not really with the specific doctrines that he seems to attack as much as it is with the notion that specific doctrines can be settled once and for all. This leaves him without arguments in favor of his own ideas and it places him perpetually at odds with God's people who are always prepared "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

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Defining Marriage

By Mark Larson
For Powerpoint Outline and Audio go to:

http://www.cvillechurch.com/

Introduction: “Is it Necessary to Define Marriage?”

A. Many say that defining marriage is unnecessary and unwarranted, that marriage is strictly a human or civil right, a social and private affair that should be left to individuals to decide without government interference.

B. Such an approach to marriage will inevitably lead to the destruction of marriage itself, where marriage is anything you want it to be!

C. Defining marriage is in fact very important, critical to preserving and protecting the institution of marriage.

I. Attempts by the World to Redefine Marriage

A. Same-sex couples who “love” and commit to one another (homosexuality).

B. A man and woman who live together in “love” and commitment (cohabitation).

C. A man and / or woman who lives with, “loves”, and commits to several men / women (i.e., polygamy and/ or bisexuality).

II. Does the World Have a Right to Redefine Marriage?

A. The Bible exhorts us to not conform to this world, which would include its
standard of morality and practices (Rom. 12:2).

B. No matter how Man may define marriage, God’s definition will forever stand! (1 Pet. 1:24-25; Heb. 4:12).

III. God’s Definition of Marriage

A. Marriage is the union of one male and one female (Mat. 19:4-6).

1. There is no mistaking God’s original definition of marriage, given “from the beginning” – a monogamous relationship.

Marriage is a heterosexual, not homosexual relationship.

1. “At the beginning made them male and female”, not male and male or female and female (Mat. 19:4; cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 2:22).

2. Marriage involves the union of the only type of couple, one male and
one female, capable of natural reproduction of the human race (Gen. 1:28).

3. When God created a help meet for Adam, He did not create another man
(Gen. 2:18, 21-23).

4. Another man would not have been a suitable partner for Adam, any more than any one of the animals which God had created! (cf. Lev. 18:23).

5. God condemns the fleshly union of males with males and females with females in both the Old Testament and New (Gen. 18:20; 19:5; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Mat. 11:23-24; Luke 17:28-29; Jude 7; 1 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).

6. Homosexuality is a “vile passion” that is “against nature” - not a genetic or inherited “sexual orientation” (Rom. 1:26-27).

The honorable institution of marriage does not permit fornication or adultery (Heb. 13:4).

1. Unmarried couples living together (cohabiting) “in love” is not the moral equivalent to marriage, but a dishonor and disrespect of marriage.

2. Those who practice polygamous “marriage” will be judged by God for adultery.

3. To tolerate “marriage” for same-sex or homosexual couples (a form of fornication) is to belittle and defile the marriage institution.

4. Marriage is to be highly esteemed (“be held in honor”) by pure conduct and by our defense of it.

Marriage is about companionship and commitment.

By creating woman for man, the need for companionship was fulfilled in the first marriage
(Gen. 2:18, 22).

Marriage is also about devotion, commitment, and unity (Gen. 2:24).

E. God’s definition of marriage includes couples complying with civil law to ratify the marriage contract or agreement (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

1. Rom 12:17b says “Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men” (ASV), thus marriage must be ratified in a way accepted by society.

2. Civil procedures should be followed, provided they do not violate God’s law (Acts 5:29).

IV. Standing Up for God’s Definition of Marriage is not Discrimination!

A. God’s definition of marriage is not discriminatory, but is open to all adults who meet His requirements (Mat. 19:4-11; cf. Gen. 2:24).

B. Marriage has a specific meaning that should be upheld and respected by all
(Gen. 2:24; Mat. 19:4-11).

Conclusion: Let Us Honor, Respect, and Defend God’s Definition of Marriage!


markelarson@adelphia.net

Does the Salvation of the Thief on the Cross Make Baptism Unnecessary?

By Mark Larson
www.cvillechurch.com

The following question is often asked: "If we are required to be baptized in order to be saved, why was the thief on the cross allowed into Paradise? (Luke 23:42-43).

There are several reasons why the thief on the cross got to enter Paradise without being baptized. First of all, Jesus had the authority to forgive people of their sins and give them salvation. What He did for the thief (Luke 23:43) corresponds to the theme that is emphasized throughout Luke (5:20, 24; 7:48; 19:9-10), that is, that Jesus has such authority. The story of the thief on the cross was not recorded to show us how to be forgiven, but rather to demonstrate that Jesus had authority on earth to forgive sins (cf. Mark 2:10). Luke’s gospel account showed that Jesus could forgive sins. It was only after Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead that Luke records the instruction of Jesus on how forgiveness would be obtained: “And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47, NASB).

The majority of the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John explain to us why Jesus is good news (i.e., gospel). It is only after Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, that we are told how to respond to the gospel in order to become Christians (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:16). Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, recorded how people responded to the gospel message by repenting of their sins and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The story of the thief on the cross should not be used as a reason to make baptism unnecessary and of no eternal value.

Second, people who lived before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus cannot be examples to us on how to respond to the gospel for our salvation. Yes, people like Abraham (Rom. 4), Enoch, and Noah (Heb. 11:5-7) for example, were saved and were never baptized. Yet, they also never had an opportunity to respond in obedient faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ because they all lived before His death, burial, and resurrection. How was it possible, then, that they were saved before Jesus’ death? We are told in Romans 3:25 that God “passed over the sins previously committed” (i.e., let them occur without punishment of His eternal wrath, c.f., Acts 17:30). How could He have done this and still be a righteous God? Because God anticipated the death of Christ as a propitiation (i.e., atonement) for sins. The cleansing power of Jesus’ blood is essentially “retroactive”, applying to those people who lived before “the cross of Christ” – people who, in obedient faith, looked to the Messiah (Heb. 9:15).

The thief on the cross was saved, even before Jesus died for his salvation, because Jesus knew His heart - knew that He had a penitent, believing heart and thus chose to save him, even though he had not been baptized. Jesus saved him because He had the authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus, in saving the thief, did not establish an exception to the rule of baptism for salvation (a rule to be given later under the New Covenant). Now that the death, burial, and resurrection has taken place, we have no excuse not to meet the conditions that Jesus gave to be saved to become Christians which includes baptism into Christ (Mark 16:16) (even those He gave through His apostles - Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Third, when Jesus died on the cross He established a New Testament (i.e., Covenant). When instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus taught that it would be His blood (i.e., death) that would establish a New Covenant making forgiveness of sins possible (Mat. 26:28). His death on the cross brought the end of the Old Testament (i.e., covenant) (cf. Col. 2:13-17; Heb. 8-10). With this in mind, we should recognize that the thief on the cross was under the Old Covenant era, not the New. The New Covenant was not in effect yet, thus he could not respond to the instructions of the New Covenant (or Testament) to be baptized into Christ (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12-13; 35-39; 9:18 / 22:16; 10:48; 16:14-15, 30-33; 18:8; 19:3-5; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5b; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21). Therefore, Jesus, with authority on earth to forgive sins, invited him to enter Paradise with Him for his faith and penitent heart.

Fourth, the gospel by which we are saved today is built upon the foundation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Thus, no one who lived and died before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus can be used as an example of what is required to respond to the gospel for salvation. The thief on the cross could not have been baptized into Christ, even if he wanted to because baptism into Christ is based upon Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:11-12) which had yet to occur.

May we also recognize that even if the thief on the cross had received John’s baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3), that this would not have qualified as being “baptized into Christ” for salvation. The baptism John gave was only temporary and people baptized by John would still need to be baptized into Christ in order to be saved (cf. Acts 19:3-5). Baptism washes away our sins (Acts 22:16) because of Jesus’ death / blood (Rev. 1:5). Baptism saves us due to the power of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Pet. 3:21). The thief simply could not be baptized into Christ and gain those blessings before the death, burial, and resurrection occurred. Thus, Jesus, with the authority He had, granted him salvation for this faith and penitence.

The Eternal importance of baptism should not be minimized. To be “spiritually reborn” (John 3:3-5) or become a child of God, a person needs to not only believe in Christ, but also be baptized into Christ to “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). A person does not belong to Christ and enjoy the blessings found “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3) until baptized into Christ.

To belong to the Lord’s church, a person must be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). When a person is baptized into Christ, he/ she is, at the very same moment, baptized into His body (1 Cor. 12:13), which represents the church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). Salvation begins at baptism, for only those who belong to the Lord’s church have their names “written in heaven” (Heb. 12:22-23).

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